The Birth of Hanuman, the Monkey God
Not a major Hindu festival, it is celebrated largely in North India to commemorate the birth of the monkey god, Hanuman,during Chaitra. It marks a symbolic acceptance of the human race`s peaceful co-existence with nature and the worship of an animal as a divine creature.
Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Hanuman, the monkey god widely venerated throughout India. It is celebrated during Chaitra and is especially important to Brahmacharis, wrestlers and body builders. Hanuman was an ardent devotee of Rama, and is worshipped for his unflinching devotion to the god.
From the early morning, devotees flock Hanuman temples to worship the monkey god. The officiating priest bathes the idol and offers special prayers to the gods. Then the entire body is smeared with sindooraand oil, a symbol of life and strength. According to a popular belief, once when Sita was applying sindoora to her hair, Hanuman asked her the reason for doing so. She replied that by applying sindoora, she ensured a longlife for her husband. The more sindoora she applied, the longer Rama`s life would be. The devoted Hanuman then smeared his entire body with sindoora, in an effort to ensure Rama`s immortality. Hence Hanuman`s idol is always daubed with sindoora.
People offer sweets and fruit, specially bananas, to the god. Since Hanuman is a monkey god, monkeys in zoos and neighbouring areas are also objects of veneration on this day.
Men also fast from morning till evening. In some parts of the country, especially Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the festival involves more elaborate celebrations. Huge tents are erected in front of Hanuman temples where people congregate to listen to recitations of the Hanuman Chalisa.
Entertainment programmes are organised on this occasion, the nautanki in Uttar Pradesh and the jatra in Bihar being the most popular. These dramas represent a particular aspect of the life of Hanuman, especially emphasising his devotional nature and his bravery. Many people congregateto watch these programmes. Games like wrestling are a common part of this festival. Body-builders and wrestlers assemble at a wrestling field in the morning after praying for blessings from the monkey god. A tilak of orange sindoora from Hanuman`s body is applied to their forehead, for it is considered to be auspicious and bestow good luck. Wrestling commences with both wrestlers crying `Jai Hanuman` or `Hail Hanuman`. The winner is rewarded handsomely on this occasion. Other daring games like balancing an immensely heavy stone on one`s chest, and pulling a heavy jeep or car with one`s teeth are also popular nowadays. All these events represent the power and strength that Hanuman symbolises. Most of the body-builders and wrestlers fast on this day, breaking it only at night.
The cult of Hanuman is fairly strong in India and hence Hanuman Jayanti is an important festival. Hanuman is the symbol of strength and energy. As an unmarried, celibate god, he is specially popular with body-builders, who believe that like him, one needs to be celibate in order to have a strong body. Hanuman is said to be able to assume any form at will, wield rocks, move mountains, dart through the air, seize the clouds and rival Vishnu`s bird, Garuda in swiftness of flight. He is worshipped in folk traditionas a deity with magical powers and the ability to conquer evil spirits.
Though this festival is not celebrated on a very large scale, Hanuman Jayanti marks the symbolic acceptance of the human race`s peaceful co-existence with nature and other beings by exalting an animal as adivine creature. Like other festivals involving animal worship, this festival too marks a human prediction to understand nature and its creation in a mythical and legendary manner. The very cries `Jai Hanuman` or `Hail Hanuman` and `Jai Vanara Devata` meaning `Hail the Monkey God` that resound throughout the day are symbolic of this.
There are several stories describing Hanuman`s miraculous and divine birth. His mother is said to be the apsara Anjana, who was married to Sage Kesari. However, Vayu, the wind god, was so overcome by her beauty that he blew hard on her and she conceived Hanuman. When Hanuman was born, he was very hungry and his mother`s milk was in sufficient to satiatehim. He therefore flew into the sky to eat the sun, which he thought was a fruit. Indra threw his thunderbolt to stop him, injuring the boy`s chin. Angered by this act, Vayu took Hanuman into acave to shelter him. But when Vayu disappeared, people in the world were unable to breathe. At the behest of the gods, Brahma entered the cave and healed Hanuman`s wounds. The other gods also blessed Hanuman and conferred various boons on him, including eloquence of expression. Because of his injury which left his jaw swollen, the child was called Hanuman, meaning `having a large jaw`.
Monkeys have been a part of Hindu mythology from as long ago as the Rig Vedic period. In a late hymn of the Rig Veda, a monkey, Vrishakapi, is a favourite of Indra`s but is banished by Indra`s wife for being extremely mischievous. Later he is restored to favour. However, the worship of monkeys began only after the Ramayana, for the part Hanuman took in assisting Rama to save Sita. In the Ramayana, he is one of the military chiefs of a monkey king called Sugriva. When Sugriva formed an alliance with Rama to rescue Sita from the clutches of Ravana, Hanuman flew across the ocean to Lankato convey Rama`s message to Sita. He also assisted in the construction of the mighty bridge to Lanka to enable the monkey army passage across. During the battle too, he is believed to have uprooted the entire Mandara mountain for the Sanjivani plant that restored life to the injuredLakshman.
A typical iconographic image of Hanuman shows him kneeling beside Rama with his head bowed and hands folded. Another favourite depiction shows him tearing his chest open to reveal his heart with an image of Rama and Sita inset.